A privilege of God's people

Love covers a multitude of sins. Yes, this gem of God's Word broke the karat meter. By shedding light on a subject as obligatory as our relationship with our neighbor, whether they are believers or not, he gives his treatment a very special nuance; It is like a gift that we can give to others from God as often as we decide. This verse does not mean that sin is justified by the simple fact that we are loving with sinners, but that love has enough power in itself that it is able to make forgiveness work in our hearts and ensure that we overlook error. (or the offense) committed by the brother, friend or neighbor who, with bad intentions or not, wants to get us out of our minds and tries to make us lose the joy of the Lord.

We tend to judge first-hand, we want to take charge of the matter. We condemn the sinner along with his sin, but “There is but one lawgiver and judge, the one who can save and destroy. You, on the other hand, who are you to judge your neighbor? " (James 4:12).

Many times we do not want to take action against our neighbor, and we mistakenly console ourselves in the that of "I am a Christian and he (she, they) are not." That pride! What religious vanity! The saddest thing is that we forget that God sent his Son to die on the cross for them too. He died on the cross for everyone, even for those who have offended us, for those who have not yet experienced His love. What does Jesus tell us? Your love can cover a multitude of sins of others, it gives us the power to ignore them and continue our career, it casts them into the abyss of oblivion or into the bottom of the sea. Didn't God do the same with ours? He nailed them to the cross along with the body of his beloved son. The Father unloaded his wrath on Him to cleanse our wickedness with his blood, or what is the same, so as not to unload it on us. And we are still so foolish that we are slow to forgive others! Many times, inadvertently, we become "killers of grace," a term coined by a notable Christian writer in one of his works.

The love (which we incarnate by the grace of God) that covers a multitude of sins (mine and that of others), never condemns, but forgives the faults committed, delights in tolerating with Christian patience the abuses of actions and words against us. integrity. Christian love forgives and absolves of guilt. Martin Luther understood it perfectly: "As God with love covers my sins, if I believe, I must cover the sins of my neighbor with my love."

On one occasion the disciples had gone to Samaria to prepare for Jesus' visit, but they were not well received by the Samaritans: “When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked him: —Lord, do you want us to make fire fall from heaven to to destroy them? But Jesus turned to them and rebuked them. '”Luke 9: 54–55. That is our Master! Faced with the disappointment of his disciples (they not only condemned the Samaritans, but also wanted to see them dead), and the refusal of the Samaritans to receive him, the Lord raised the banner of love covering the sins of those people. Love prevailed. "Love ... does not delight in evil ... He excuses everything, believes everything, hopes for everything, supports everything" (1 Cor 13: 6-7). How great is our Lord!

With the rod that one day you measure, they will measure you. “Do not become judges of others, and so God will not judge you. If you are too harsh to judge other people, God will be just as harsh on you. He will treat you as you treat others. " Matthew 7: 1–2 (BLS)

Remember the woman in the Bible who was caught in adultery? When the religious grace killers brought her to Jesus and asked if they should stone her, He expressed to them: "... Let the one of you who is free from sin cast the first stone." (John 8: 7b). It was to be expected, they all left. When only Jesus and the woman were left on that stage, He said to her: “—Woman, where are they? No one condemns you anymore? "No one, sir." "Neither do I condemn you." Now leave and do not sin again." (John 8: 10b – 11). This is love in action.

Did Jesus overlook the woman's adultery? Of course not! But he decided not to condemn her, but to forgive her, and speak the truth to her in love. His love totally covered a sin that to this day is still one of the worst. "Love is patient, it is kind ..." (1 Cor 13: 4) There is no better medicine than forgiveness and love to cast aside the wickedness of man. Take a look at your life before Christ and you will understand for sure. The pain of the offense caused by our neighbor and even a loved one can be great, but Christ was called a man of sorrows (Isaiah 53: 3) many years before his sacrifice on the cross. I am sure that you have ears to hear and I embrace you with all my love in Christ.

Let us pray: Father, may your grace and peace multiply in those who have offended us and caused us pain. Your blood was also shed to cleanse their sin. Their sins have the same price as you paid for mine. I decide today to forgive them with a love that yearns to resemble yours, which covered and still covers the multitude of all our faults. I praise you for the certainty of your forgiveness. My heart sings to you because you invented true love, the one that does not die out, that never ceases to be. In Christ, amen.

God bless you!